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Thursday, 15 June 2017

Raindrops on Roses (or peonies)

Our lovely heat wave was followed by lots of rain. I've been picking strawberries every day, trying to get them before birds (?), chipmunks (?) do. The berries are lovely and big. Here is what was on my counter this evening.

Because of the rain, many of them have been splashed with dirt, but I wash them and freeze them, so that isn't a problem. I also made this for myself for dessert. Have you tried these meringue nests before? I like them, but husband doesn't really care for them. He just had a bowl of strawberries with a little whipped cream.

Not only does the heat and the rain make the strawberries swell and ripen, it has also been a boost to the flower beds. Here's what is blooming now:

The white peonies bloom first. Unfortunately, they suffered a bit in all the rain. Some are a sodden mess, but the ones that had only just opened faired better.

The pink peonies are just starting. I love how soft the petals are and the fragrance is heavenly.

Mock orange has to be one of the most fragrant shrubs. The smell makes me think of my Aunt Jean and Uncle Earl's place where we would gather for family get-togethers.

These are the flowers close up. I don't know how to describe the scent. Maybe like cherries.

This is another cranesbill (hardy geranium) which I think is called Johnson's Blue. It doesn't spread, is on the taller side, and the colour is just beautiful. However, part way through the summer it looks gangly and rather ugly, so I usually cut it back.

My one and only fox glove, although I try so hard to have foxgloves. They just don't last. The periwinkle blue plant in the background is spiderwort. I first saw spiderwort at a garden called Larkwhistle up on the Bruce Peninsula and knew I had to have some. Mine have never been as big and luscious as the ones I saw, but I still like them.

This is called gasplant. Apparently, the gases given off by the blossoms can be lit to a tiny flame. I have not tried. I only have the one clump.

In this shrub border, the weigela and ninebark are both blooming very well this year.

Gerald, my Easter Island Head Guy is adorned with dappled willow (I think there is another name) and weigela.

Unfortunately, with all the rain, the limb of this Manitoba maple got so heavy, it gave way. Thankfully there was mostly just lawn underneath.

These trees are not the strongest and we've had branches come down before. We did not plant these trees. They grow like weeds along the edge of our property. We will need to ask our neighbour to come over with his handy dandy chainsaw. Then we will have a bit more firewood for next year, and the smaller branches, we will just burn.

Well, that's the week. I'll be picking strawberries and freezing more through the weekend. It is coming up to Father's Day, of course. I don't know if we will be able to get both kids home at the same time, but we'll try to work something out. Present is bought. He wants roast beef and Yorkshire pudding. Help me. I tried to do Yorkshire pudding a couple of times before but it isn't quite right. Personally, I can't stand it, all sopped up with gravy, but he has fond memories. I wonder if M&M Meats sells frozen ones? There will be strawberry, rhubarb pie, or crisp for dessert. Daughter just texted with information about a British Car Show this weekend. I'm sure husband would like that! TTFN!

23 comments:

I love your 'Easter Island Head Guy' garden ornament. That is pretty cool.

And those strawberries! YUMMY. Nothing compares to homegrown. But not this year for us. Our property has zero landscaping. Well, almost zero. Whatever is out there is really awful. Next spring we'll take care of the outdoors and I'll plant strawberries like we had at the other house.

I have many of the same shrubs in my gardens! I wondered what the (dappled willow?) was called, bought it at a garden center and threw out the tag before paying attention - they really grow fast! And I didn't know what the Mock orange was called - it grows wild here along the field edges and smells wonderful.

Your gardens looks lovely, and I envy your strawberries - Ours were eaten by rabbits and we finally gave up growing them.

I don't know how I stumbled upon your blog, but I so enjoy your writing and pictures! Like you I enjoy gardening, looking at my flowers and trying to just be content in the everyday journey. I live in Austin Texas, and the heat is here, so my gardening time is limited to early mornings for now. I look forward to more of your lovely photos!

Beautiful garden shots. I'm not a gardener...a fact that my mum and my husband cannot understand:) We haven;t had fresh strawberries yet...always feels like summer has arrived when the strawberries are ripe.

That strawberry dessert looks delicious. My kitchen currently smells like fresh strawberries too since we just bought 5 quarts of them last evening from some Amish neighbors. I'm having some friends over tonight for dessert wine tasting & freezer jam making. Have a great weekend!

I love the scent of a mock orange - one of my favorite people when I was a child, was an elderly farmwife with a beautiful garden. I thought it was paradise. It is going to be a bumper crop of strawberries here, too - if I can beat the chipmunks to them!

I have a mock orange at the bottom of my front steps. The scent is lovely as I go in and out of the house. Mini Yorkies are a frozen Yorkshire pudding thing. They take about 1 min. in a hot oven on a cookie tray and taste just like handmade. We just get them at the grocery store. Zehrs or Sobeys.

I too have a mock orange in full flower - and it smells beautiful.As for perennial geraniums - they are my favourites - I have Johnsons Blue and another blue one the name of which I have forgotten. I also have a lovely pink one - my namesake - Patricia.

Amazing to see how quickly the frozen north catches up with the more temperate south east of the UK. Your garden is looking a mirror image of mine. I make jam and ice cream with my strawberry excess and philadelphus has to be one of the best scents in the garden.

Hi! :) I love Gerald! :) Your flowers are beautiful, I've always wanted a bed of peonies. How on earth do you have so many beautiful strawberries right now?? I'm north of Montreal in the Laurentians, our weather has been so chilly and rainy lately, my strawberry plant doesn't seem ready to bloom yet! I did plant some new seeds, so I have my fingers crossed. Last year it was the little baby brown squirrels that got to them. Glad you're enjoying summer weather! Rain

About Me

I started blogging because I started reading people's blogs and really enjoyed them. I have always been a writer. I've kept a journal since I was a teenager (which was quite some time ago!), I wrote stories as a child, and I think things through by writing them down and getting them out of my brain. At the moment I blog about my life without getting too personal. I get a little thrill when someone leaves a comment, so I try to comment on other people's blogs as well. So... go ahead... make my day.

About Me

I am a wife and mother of a twenty-one year-old and a seventeen-year-old living in rural Ontario, Canada. Join me in my journey through gardening, motherhood, living in a century-plus home, surviving husband projects (give me strength), and working full time. I love reading, nature, laughing, small furry animals, and a good cup of coffee on the porch (or perhaps a glass of red wine depending on the day!).